滅多に～ない

Japanese Grammar Advanced Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral めったにmetta ni
読み めったに
ローマ字 metta ni
形 滅多に + Verb ない / 滅多に + ない + Noun
漢字の分解 滅 (めつ) — destroy, perish; 多 (た) — many, frequent

意味

A structure indicating extremely low frequency, meaning 'rarely' or 'seldom.' It emphasises that something almost never happens or is encountered.

滅多に (めったに) is an adverb that always pairs with negation to express that something occurs with extreme infrequency. Unlike あまり～ない (not very often), which suggests moderate infrequency, 滅多に～ない conveys that the event is genuinely rare — close to never. It is used for habitual actions, occurrences, or opportunities. The pattern can also carry a sense of value or preciousness — if something is 滅多にない, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In its positive form, 滅多な (reckless, careless) exists as a separate adjective with a different meaning, so learners should not confuse the two. The kanji 滅 (destruction) and 多 (many) together suggest 'ruinously frequent,' but the word is only used in negative contexts.

例文

  1. こんな好条件の物件は滅多に出てこない。
  2. 彼が会議に遅刻することは滅多にない。
  3. 最近は滅多に本を読まなくなってしまった。

使い方ガイド

場面: spoken, written, everyday

トーン: descriptive

正しい言い方

  • 社長が直々に挨拶に来るのは滅多にないことだ。
  • 彼女は滅多に感情を表に出さない人だ。
  • 滅多にない晴天だったので、洗濯物を一気に片付けた。

避ける言い方

  • 滅多に映画を見る。(Using 滅多に with a positive predicate — it requires negation) → 滅多に映画を見ない。
  • 滅多にいつも遅刻する。(Combining 滅多に with いつも — contradictory frequency adverbs) → 滅多に遅刻しない。

起源と歴史

滅多 originally meant 'reckless' or 'indiscriminate' (滅多打ち — hitting recklessly). The adverbial form 滅多に became fixed in negative constructions to mean 'rarely,' a semantic shift from 'carelessly/randomly' to 'almost never.' This usage is attested from the Edo period.

文化的背景

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

関連フレーズ

一切～ない A structure meaning 'not at all' or 'absolutely none,' used for emphatic total negation. It conveys that something is completely absent or that an action has never been performed. 何～ない A structure using 何 (なん/なに) with a negative predicate to express that something does not exist at all or that there is nothing of a particular kind. It creates emphatic absence. ないことには A phrase meaning 'unless' or 'if one doesn't do something, then the next thing won't happen.' It emphasises that a certain action or state is a prerequisite for a desired outcome. ないでもない A double-negative phrase meaning 'it's not that I don't' or 'I somewhat do,' used to hesitantly or indirectly express a feeling, opinion, or possibility. It conveys reserved agreement or partial acknowledgement. ないまでも An adverbial phrase meaning 'even if not to the extent of' or 'if not X, then at least Y.' It expresses that while an ideal action or state may not be achieved, a lesser alternative should at minimum be pursued. なしに An adverbial phrase meaning 'without (doing) something,' indicating that an action proceeds in the absence of a condition or action. It can follow both nouns and verb dictionary forms. より・のほか（に）（は）～ない A phrase conveying that there is no other choice or option than to do something. It means 'there is nothing to do but' or 'the only option is,' expressing resigned determination. 一[Counter]として～ない A structure meaning 'not a single one' or 'not even one,' using a counter word to emphasise the complete absence of something. It is an emphatic way of saying zero.
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